| Submit your comments on this article |
| Southeast Asia |
| Islamofascist party: Vote 4 us or burn! |
| 2004-03-08 |
| Hat tip LGF. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has vowed to confront the Islamic fundamentalist opposition, which has suggested that pro-government voters will be sent to hell. "This is a topic we have to face," Abdullah told a rally of supporters in Malacca state, the New Straits Times newspaper reported Monday. "We cannot shrug if off just like that. We will reply." The fundamentalist Pan-Malaysia Islamic party’s spiritual leader, widely respected cleric Nik Aziz Nik Mat, said earlier that Muslims "naturally, will go to heaven for choosing an Islamic party, while those who support un-Islamic parties will logically go to hell." Then his lips fell off. Other opposition officials have accused Abdullah of preaching Islamic virtue only when it suits him, and criticized him for not leading funeral rites for his mother last month. Was she not Islamic enough or something? Religion and ethnicity are among the most volatile issues in multicultural but mostly Muslim Malaysia. Raising issues deemed to threaten national unity — including religion and race — for political purposes is banned, but they remain underlying political themes "We of the Islamic party, however, are quite pure!" Then many harps broke a string each. Several members of the Islamic party are among scores being detained in Malaysia, including Nik Aziz’s son. In Kuala Lumpur, about 50 students from seven cross-ethnic campus groups protested peacefully outside the national mosque urging whoever is elected to abolish the detention-without-trial law, end corruption, make the judiciary more independent, and ensure racial equality in education. Abdullah took over from Mahathir Mohamad when he retired in October after 22 years in power and has Islamic credentials that many perceive as making him better suited to checking the fundamentalists’ influence. But Mahathir’s quite loopy. So far, he has adopted a less-confrontational approach than the combative Mahathir, encouraging Muslims to adopt a moderate form of Islam that embraces education, commerce and development. Mahathir was notorious for his stinging criticism of the West, which sometimes triggered international outrage. The United States and Australia are two countries that have signaled that Abdullah’s leadership will help restore ties. |
| Posted by:Steve from Relto |